Contingent workers in California worked an average of 27.6 hours a
week in February 2005. This was close to one-third fewer hours
than those that held permanent jobs. Contingent workers were
twice as likely to work part-time as permanent workers, even though
nearly two-thirds of them would prefer a permanent, full-time job.

A large percentage of contingent workers were from low-income
households and were twice as likely as permanent workers to report
household/family income as less than $25,000 a year (27 percent versus
13 percent).